Manchester City vs Chelsea: Jose Mourinho takes a thinly-veiled swipe at Premier League rivals as he calls for tougher FFP sanctions

The Chelsea manager wants point deductions and titles stripped for anyone who breaks Uefa's Financial Fair Play rules

Jose Mourinho (Getty Images)

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes clubs that breach Financial Fair Play rules would think again if the punishment was points penalties or being refused entry to the Champions League.

Nine clubs, including Chelsea's weekend opponents Manchester City, and French champions Paris St Germain, were punished by UEFA this year for FFP infringements.

City were fined and limited to a 21-man Champions League squad for this season.

But Mourinho, speaking on the issue and without picking out any team for criticism, raised the question of whether UEFA is being strong enough in enforcing its rules governing spending.

In an interview with Portuguese broadcasters TVI and website Maisfutebol, Mourinho said: "There are fines that are known about, and if there are fines there is control.

"Now, are the fines fair? I think not, I think what is fair is to take away points and remove titles. If you have important capital, which allows you to overcome financial fair play, if after you win titles you are penalised financially, it continues and continues.

"If you take one or two players out of a Champions League squad? You go from having 24 to going in with 22. However, if you say that you'll start next season with minus six points, or you can't play in the Champions League and you're going into the Europa League instead, it's more complicated."

He added: "The reality is that those who get the big benefit are the most economically powerful teams with the most history and most fans.

"People talk about marketing and commercial departments but this is all about history. A marketing department won't make millions without history. Real Madrid is very strong in that aspect because it has a unique history and fans worldwide.

"Teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern and United, historically different from the others, will be the obvious beneficiaries.

"A new owner, who wants to grow a club quickly, so the team can compete with them, can't do it. In its current form, Financial Fair Play turns out to be a bit confusing.

"From personal experience, I like to work at a club that has financial fair play as more than a legal obligation, but also as a situation of self-pride. We have to buy to sell."

PA